This invention relates to a work station especially suited for use by a manicurist in the preparation of nails and in the application of nail polish. The manicure work station consists of an environmental chamber and base unit.
The treatment of human nails for aesthetic purposes may involve the application of a liquid acrylic, a liquid adhesive or other material to form a nail-like member.
The nail-like member or the existing nail must be trimmed, cut, and filed to the shape desired. One or more coats of nail polish and/or nail sealer must be applied to complete the nail in a form and finish which is aesthetically pleasing to the client.
The liquid acrylic, the liquid adhesive, the nail polish, the nail sealer, and other liquids employed by the manicurist give off noxious fumes. These fumes are objectionable to the client and manicurist. These fumes may prove harmful to the manicurist if exposed to such fumes over an extended period of time.
The trimming, cutting, and filing of the nails result in and emit nail dust particles which are also objectionable to the client and manicurist. These dust particles may also prove harmful to the manicurist if exposed to such dust particles over an extended period of time. The trimming and cutting of nails may also result in projectiles of small nail fragments posing the danger of eye irritation or damage to both the client and manicurist.
It is the standard practice to permit the noxious fumes and particulate laden air to disperse into the ambient atmosphere without any positive effort to remove these fumes. The nail dust collecting at the base of the work area is occasionally swept away with a small brush. Manicurists are left to their own devices to provide eye protection.
Efforts to remove the noxious fumes, particle laden air, and nail dust particles are known in the prior art. Efforts to provide eye protection in conjunction with the above are also known in the prior art. The prior art has left several problems unsolved. These problems include the cost effectiveness of the inventions, the noise level of the equipment, the inadequate removal of noxious fumes, the inadequate removal of dust particles, and/or the lack of adequate eye protection. A summary of the most relevant prior art follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,295 (1987) to Christ discloses a work top air cleaner which includes a passageway formed in the work top through which air is removed and directed to a filter box. Christ does not include a hood to provide eye protection for the client and manicurist. This device also requires a minimum blower capacity of 150 cfm in order to capture and direct the noxious fumes toward the down draft filtration system. Such a blower capacity has an inherent noise level objectionable to the client and the manicurist.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,463 (1989) to Harris discloses a ventilated work station for sculpting fingernails. The work station includes a desk-like arrangement defining a platform which supports a transparent hood. The transparent hood is fixedly connected to the platform. A down-draft exhaust motor and fan is connected to the hood by ducts. The exhaust motor and fan creates a low pressure zone in the space confined by the hood, evacuating fumes from the work area. Harris is characterized by relatively high cost with regard to the duct work and high capacity motor and fan required for a down-draft system. This device provides no protection for the diffusion of fumes not totally captured by the down-draft exhaust system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,373 (1992) to Pham discloses an apparatus for controlling vapor emissions at a manicure work station. The portable transparent housing unit is movable to different work stations and provides an inert filtration system to disperse the noxious fumes into the ambient atmosphere. Pham provides no protection for the diffusion of fumes not totally captured by the exhaust system. Neither does the device make provisions for the collection of nail dust particles.
Harris discloses a system that most closely resembles the present invention. Harris, however, provides no means for preventing the noxious fumes from escaping through the openings where the client and manicurist must insert their hands. Furthermore, Harris utilizes a down-draft exhaust system requiring expensive ducting and exhaust equipment. Furthermore, Harris uses a system of lighting which obstructs the view of the work area from observation directly above the work area.
None of the patents indicative of the prior art disclose an arrangement of the type set forth with the present invention. Among other things, there is no showing of a fully enclosed environmental chamber hood system to effectively trap all noxious fumes. The present invention provides a fully enclosed environmental chamber to effectively trap all noxious fumes. This allows for the evacuation of the trapped fumes by means of a low volume exhaust motor and fan. Additionally there is no showing in the prior art of a passive collection means for nail dust particles. The present invention provides an absorbent pad or towelette at the base of the environmental chamber to passively collect the nail dust particles.